Live from the National Hardware Show, Part 2; Latest Trends in Home Improvement, How to Kill Weeds While You Sleep, How to Stop Mold Without Toxins, and More

Find out the products that are making a splash at the 2012 National Hardware Show. Learn how you can continuously kill weeds without continuous poisons. Find out how you can stop mold and mildew stains in a non-toxic way.

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And we are broadcasting The Money Pit today from the floor of the 2012 National Hardware Show here in the immense Las Vegas Convention Center. And this is kind of a dream come true for do-it-yourselfers. If there’s a product used to repair, remodel, maintain or decorate your home, it is here.

LESLIE: That’s right. And you know what? This is the place to unveil manufacturer’s – their newest, the latest, greatest, coolest products. But it’s also a place for the tried-and-true products that you’ve really grown to depend on. In fact, there’s even a Made in the U.S.A. display, an energy-efficient display and even a tailgating area, my goodness.

TOM: And there’s even more excitement this year because of the latest news saying that home improvement spending is expected to rise dramatically after a couple of years of feeling the economic pinch.

Now, backyard living continues to be a big trend here and also green products and of course, anything that saves money or space.

LESLIE: That’s right. First up, if you’re an avid do-it-yourselfer or perhaps you’re even just a growing family, you know that the garage is the last frontier in the search for that extra room in your home. Well, Gladiator GarageWorks has been a leader in helping us make the most of that space. And we’re joined now by Rich Moore from Gladiator to learn about their latest innovations.

Welcome, Rich.

RICH: Hi. How are you guys today?

TOM: We’re good.

Now, I got a chance to tour your booth yesterday and I saw a really cool refrigerator. You guys call it the Chillerator?

RICH: We do call it the Chillerator. Gladiator, as you’re aware, is owned by the Whirlpool Corporation and through our parent company, we’ve been able to develop appliances for the garage, so that people can have their excess, their overflow.

And the appliances we’ve developed are really specific for external use. We take into account the cold environments, the hot environments during the summer to make sure that appliance is going to last years upon years.

LESLIE: Because …

TOM: And I think a lot of people don’t understand that you can’t just put your spare refrigerator in the garage, because the temperatures out there – the extreme is going to force it to not work properly, essentially.

RICH: That is correct. It’s going to shorten the lifespan. We enjoy it when people do, because they will come to find us.

TOM: That’s terrific.

Now, you guys also have some new products for – to help us within the storage area inside the garage.

RICH: We do. We’ve introduced a storage bench, which is – kind of our whole theme is helping people reclaim their space: help them find that space that they need, whether it’s in the garage, other parts of the home. We’ve done that through a storage bench that can be used as a shoe bench. It can be used in the garage, it can be used in a utility room, it can be used in a basement: wherever somebody really needs some additional storage to just kind of put the things away that they need to put away.

LESLIE: And I think it’s amazing that when you’re testing your products, I mean you test them to hold an amount of weight that I don’t even think I could feasibly come up with to store on these things.

RICH: Exactly. You take an engine block and it holds on a shelf but who’s going to have an engine block?

TOM: Yeah. But a spare engine block, it could handle it.

RICH: Exactly. So it’s incredible. We want to make sure that when people purchase our products, they’re happy, they’re satisfied, they’re going to love our products year in and year out. They just – we want them to come back to us.

TOM: We’re talking to Rich Moore. He is from Gladiator GarageWorks.

What do you think makes the Gladiator GarageWorks system so versatile? It’s very modular, isn’t it?

RICH: It’s very modular and the best part is people can start small; they can grow the system to do whatever they want it to do. We’ve really never obsoleted our products so that people who have bought the system years ago can still get the products to fit onto the product, so that they can continue to grow and grow and grow.

I myself, I’ve been frustrated. I buy something, go back to replace it a couple years later and I can’t find what I initially had.

LESLIE: Right. You have to get something completely new.

RICH: Exactly. We’re not that case at all. We’ve still got the original products plus the new innovative products to help people do what they need to do.

LESLIE: And we noticed when we were in your booth yesterday a new home office line. There is a really attractive desk.

RICH: It’s something that’s a new takeoff for us and again, it’s kind of our desire to get outside just of the garage. Let’s take a look at the rest of the home but let’s go into the commercial space, the office space. And you’re right. It’s got some built-in file cabinets to it, it’s got some new colors to it. We’re getting away from our traditional tread-plate design, going to just a whole new design aesthetic that’s really, really unique.

TOM: Storage innovations galore. Rich Moore from Gladiator GarageWorks, great information. Thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

LESLIE: Well, with the garage being the last frontier of home expansion, you might consider how you could use that space. Well, let’s think about a couple of ways. You could create a man cave but been there, done that.

Sorry, Tom.

TOM: Well, it was a good idea for your husband, not so much for you.

LESLIE: You could create a craft area – I like that idea – or maybe a place for your kids to hang out or a great storage equipment for sporting or ride-on toys galore. And you could take it to that next level and paint it and make it really gorgeous.

TOM: And a drab, gray garage could become a mural or a checkerboard with straight, crisp, clear lines if you have the right painting supplies to make that project a pleasure. FrogTape can help you do just that. Tom Bury is here now to tell us how.

Hi, Tom.

TOM BURY: Hey, guys. How’s it going?

TOM: It’s going well. So tell us about FrogTape.

TOM BURY: Well, FrogTape is the only tape out there with the patented PaintBlock technology. And realistically, that’s what’s giving you that crisp, clean line. Because no other tape out there has this polymer-based product that’s reacting to the water or a latex paint and seals that tape in.

TOM: OK. Edge.

LESLIE: Seals that edge to the wall.

TOM: Wow.

TOM BURY: Yeah, that edge is so sealed that none of that paint is getting through. So you don’t get those little, tiny bleeds which ruin …

LESLIE: Which are so messy.

TOM BURY: And they ruin all your projects. And then you’ve got to go back and you’re touching it up and it’s extra work that you don’t need to do.

LESLIE: And I like it because previously, in years past when I would do something decorative or do a stripe, I’d have to paint my base coat, put out my tape and then go over the tape with that base color so that whatever bleeding there was would be in that base color and sort of lock that edge down again.

TOM BURY: Right.

LESLIE: But you’re making it so much easier for me. How quickly can I put the FrogTape on that first coat of paint, that first decorative detail.

TOM BURY: Well, it’s a little bit interesting, as well, which we – they offer a Delicate Surface line of the tape.

TOM: OK. And how do you define a delicate surface?

TOM BURY: A delicate surface is a newly painted surface.

TOM: OK, that makes sense.

TOM BURY: So, within 24 hours, which you …

LESLIE: That’s great.

TOM BURY: If you think about it when you’re doing a paint surface, it may be dry to the touch but it’s not 100-percent dry.

TOM: Right. It’s not really cured, yeah.

TOM BURY: Yeah, it’s not cured. And the issue you may get is you may get a peel-off effect where you’re going to damage those base layers.

TOM: OK.

TOM BURY: But the fantastic thing about the Delicate Surface – which is the same exact technology in the green FrogTape; it’s in this product – you’re getting that same technology and the peel-off – you’re not damaging those bottom layers, which is so, so crucial, especially if you’re doing an interesting project.

TOM: Right.

TOM BURY: Like you were saying, multiple stripes. I use it all the time, especially when I’m working on projects where I’ve got multiple, multiple layers and I have to get it done quickly.

TOM: Right.

TOM BURY: And let’s be honest. Everybody wants to get done fast.

TOM: Quickly as possible, sure.

TOM BURY: You want to get in, you want to get out.

LESLIE: Right. Everybody’s in a rush.

TOM BURY: Yeah, everyone’s in a rush. So, this solves that. And it’s great to have both because I use the Delicate all the time, as well as the regular FrogTape. It’s perfect for any paint …

TOM: Now, how long can you leave that product on the wall? Do you have to take it off right away?

TOM BURY: Which? The …?

TOM: The Delicate Surface.

TOM BURY: The Delicate Surface you can take off right away if you want.

TOM: But if you kind of …

TOM BURY: You could – if you want the paint to cure, you can leave it on until the paint’s dry, cure and then peel it off.

TOM: Right.

TOM BURY: It’s really a preference. Me, personally, I like to peel it off. I do it pretty fast. If I’m not doing multiple coats …

TOM: Yeah, because you want to see the results.

TOM BURY: Yeah. Well, if I’m able to get two coats on quickly, I’ll do a peel right away. So it’s, like I said, fantastic product.

TOM: So the technology is basically such that the polymer in the tape absorbs the moisture; that’s what gives you the crisp, clean line.

TOM BURY: Really simple. Basically, you’re doing a paint project. Take pictures before, during and after, showing us that you’re using FrogTape. And it’s a great way to win – we’re giving away 5,000 bucks here.

TOM: Wow.

LESLIE: That’s huge.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM BURY: So, yeah, it’s huge. It’s really, really huge. And it could be anything. The contest is open to kitchens, to man caves, to bedrooms, anything you want to do; there’s multiple categories. Got a lot of great entries last year. We’re excited this year.

TOM: Awesome. And you can log on to FrogTape.com/EarnYourStripes.

Tom Bury from FrogTape, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit. I want to mention that you’re the contractor on Restaurant: Impossible on the Food Network.

TOM BURY: Yeah, I am.

LESLIE: That’s so great.

TOM: So you know how to get the job done quickly.

TOM BURY: Yep, absolutely.

TOM: Thanks, Tom.

TOM BURY: Alright. Thanks, guys.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show coming to you from the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, where we are seeing many new products here that will roll out across your local store shelves this coming year.

LESLIE: Up next, we’re going to highlight a new series of products that can help cut your lighting costs by 75 percent, without sacrificing any of the ambiance that you’ve come to enjoy.

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TOM: Where home solutions live, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.

TOM: A very special broadcast of The Money Pit coming to you today from the National Hardware Show, where the best and brightest products in home improvement are on display, with many rolling out for the very first time.

LESLIE: That’s right. And one of the coolest parts of being here is seeing the trends: knowing exactly what’s ahead in home improvement. And this year, we’re seeing lots of green products. You know, many things are aimed at saving energy and money, which is great.

TOM: And there are very many ways that you can save money, energy and maybe do your part to save the planet, too. It doesn’t have to be huge. For ideas, check out The Money Pit’s green product guide, right now, at MoneyPit.com, which is presented, in part, by Lutron.

There are lots of product ideas and simple steps that you can do today to start reducing your carbon footprint.

LESLIE: That’s right. For example, a C?L dimmer from Lutron, that’s going to allow you to dim energy-efficient light sources, like compact fluoros and LEDs, without getting any of that flicker or that hum that sometimes happens with other dimmers. So the dimmer that you are going to install today from Lutron is going to work with tomorrow’s energy-efficient bulbs and that’s so important since that technology is always advancing.

Choose Lutron and visit ChooseLutron.com.

TOM: Well, if you’d like to be more eco-friendly in your home, one way to do that is to sort of shop what you have. For example, an old, rusted or outdated patio set might seem like a lost cause but it might just need a new coat of paint to get it looking good once again.

LESLIE: That’s right. Here to tell us more about a line of spray paint that can help with this project and many others is Denise Patterson from Krylon.

Welcome, Denise.

DENISE: Hi.

TOM: Hi, Denise.

DENISE: Hi.

TOM: You’re an old favorite; you’ve been on this show before. You always have great ideas and great tips and now you’ve got a new paint to talk about.

DENISE: Absolutely. We are launching Krylon Rust Protector, which is a new spray paint to address the problem of rust.

TOM: OK. Right. And it is a problem. And a lot of us tend to leave that patio furniture out all winter and then go, “Oh, man. What am I going to do? It’s all rusty.”

DENISE: Right. Right.

TOM: So how does the product work? How does it help us? If we do now decide that this is the weekend we want to get outside and spruce up a set of tables or chairs, what’s the prep, what’s the application, what’s the drying time?

DENISE: Well, it is actually a great solution for people who have limited time to fix up their outdoor furniture. We were talking to a lot of consumers and said, “What do you want in a rust product?” And they said, “I really want something that dries faster.”

TOM: Yeah.

DENISE: And we kept that in mind when we developed Krylon Rust Protector. It will dry in eight minutes. It’s huge.

LESLIE: That is ridiculously fast.

DENISE: It’s up to 15 times …

TOM: That gives you instant gratification. Yeah.

DENISE: Absolutely. It’s up to 15 times faster than the leading rust competitor. And if you think about your neighbor mowing his lawn or bugs landing in wet paint, the longer it is wet, the more likely you are to have all of that in your permanent finish.

TOM: Right.

LESLIE: Oh, completely.

TOM: Yeah.

LESLIE: It’s like I always find that as soon as I spray on a coat of paint, that’s when the wind picks up and sawdust is flying.

DENISE: That’s always how it happens.

LESLIE: And I’m always building the box to protect things but I mean eight minutes is fast.

DENISE: And it will stop corrosion. It actually provides direct-to-metal corrosion protection so even if you don’t use a primer, it’s not going to start rusting out. So it’s kind of the benefit of fast drying and excellent corrosion protection in one. We talk about it being performance – you don’t have to wait for it.

LESLIE: Right. And I think Krylon is really known for their super-durability and really just a great finish. And another thing is you guys really offer a lot of specialty finishes, which I think is sometimes unusual in a spray-paint category.

DENISE: We do. And in this line, we have, of course, beautiful enamel colors but we also have hammered finishes, textures and metallics and of course, a full line of primers for rust.

LESLIE: Which is so funny because I think when people have metal outdoor furnishings, their first instinct is to just make it look like a metal.

LESLIE: It’s like there are so many colors out there. And I think what’s great is that Krylon is always addressing the colors that are on trend and really looking at what colors to bring to the market.

DENISE: We look at color trends every year and launch new colors. And we know that people are taking that beautiful, indoor design aesthetic and they want to create these beautiful outdoor spaces. So, of course, that’s a big part of this line. Even though it’s a rust line, it has to have beautiful colors, as well.

TOM: Now, we know it’s available in spray paint but is it also available in a brush-on for a bigger project, like maybe a fence railing or something like that?

DENISE: It is. It’s available in half-pints and quarts and those will dry in 30 minutes. Once again, much faster than the competition and beautiful durability.

LESLIE: That’s great. And the same thing as far as the prep work: I can go directly to my metal.

DENISE: You can go direct to metal but there are primers available. A lot of people will use a primer on a rust product. And Krylon Rust Protector has a complete overview of all the products available, as well as project ideas.

LESLIE: Oh, that’s great.

TOM: Great information. Denise Patterson from Krylon, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit and telling us all about the Krylon Rust Protector Paint.

More information is available at their website at Krylon.com. That’s K-r-y-l-o-n.com.

Thanks, Denise.

DENISE: Thank you.

TOM: Well, one problem homeowners can universally agree on is that they dislike mold and its evil cousins of mildew and algae, right?

LESLIE: Yeah. Well, they are related.

TOM: They are. But getting rid of it can sometimes be as dangerous as the mold and mildew themselves.

LESLIE: That’s right. Rod Jenden is the founder of Wet & Forget and is joining us now with a really super-simple solution.

Hi.

ROD: How’s it going, Leslie? Hi, Tom.

TOM: It’s going well. And you are from Australia?

ROD: New Zealand.

TOM and LESLIE: New Zealand.

ROD: Thank you very much.

TOM: Now, does that – if you’re from New Zealand and somebody blames you by being from Australia, is that offensive?

ROD: No, no, they’re great cousins of ours, actually. But we’re very competitive when it comes to sports, so there you go.

LESLIE: But you were the first to invent Wet & Forget. Let’s talk about that.

ROD: Yeah, we sure were. In fact, it came from the contracting side of my business.

TOM: OK.

ROD: So, 30, 35-odd years ago, we started removing moss, mold and mildew from roofs – from roofing.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. Of residences.

ROD: Yeah. Off tile roofs, shingle roofs, composite roofs and so on.

TOM: Right.

ROD: And in those days, we used to use pressure washers. The high-pressure water washers.

LESLIE: Right. But that’s just a temporary solution. You’re just removing what you see and you’re going to see it again.

ROD: Yeah. Dead right, Leslie. And the other thing was it was very aggressive and it actually damages the surface. Every time you pressure-wash a surface like that, it’s the equivalent of around about 12 to 15 years natural weathering, so it’s not great.

LESLIE: Really?

TOM: Of life. Well, if you think about it, too, especially with asphalt shingles, you’re taking off the granules and that’s what really protects the asphalt from the sun.

ROD: You’re right on the money, Tom.

TOM: So every time you take those off, you’re shortening your roof life.

ROD: Yep. Exactly. So it was about that point – we’d been operating for about two or three years. We could see it was going to be a problem. We thought, “There must be a better way.” We started looking at chemical solutions.

The original chemicals we used were absolutely diabolical but being sort of in your 20s and 8-foot tall and bulletproof, we used them anyway.

LESLIE: Right.

TOM: Yeah.

ROD: There’s one called sodium pentachlorophenol. I’ll never forget that name because it used to stop your breathing.

LESLIE: That sounds terrible.

TOM: Oh, man.

ROD: It would blow back in your face and you’d have to sit down, it was so bad. And then around about five or six years later, we found bleach. We thought we’d died and gone to heaven when we found bleach. Well, of course, that’s bad.

LESLIE: Right.

TOM: Yeah.

ROD: You know, bleach generally is bad. Sodium hypochlorite, you use it around the (inaudible at 0:16:23) but it’s not really good for the environment. And when it breaks down, it’s actually a carcinogen, so it’s not a great look.

So, we started looking around again. We had a fantastic guy called Dr. Butcher working for the Forest Research Institute in New Zealand, looking for ways to tanalise timber but a lot safer. Now, the compound he put me on to wasn’t any good for that but it was great for removing the mold and the mildew that you get growing on all these exterior surfaces.

TOM: Wow.

LESLIE: What a happy accident.

ROD: It was fantastic.

TOM: So, let’s talk about how Wet & Forget works, because I think it’s important – the name implies. You essentially apply the product and you’re done. Then Mother Nature does the rest of the work for you?

ROD: It definitely works that way. In fact, when I first did the trials with it, I thought, “This stuff’s never going to work.” Because when I mixed it with water, it didn’t smell, it didn’t burn me, it didn’t bleach my clothes.

LESLIE: And you were so used to that.

ROD: Exactly. And I sprayed it on the roof and I did half a roof to see what would happen. Nothing happened, of course. And I kept going back and looking at this and around about six months later, one-half of the roof was perfectly clean; the other half was still covered in mold and mildew.

TOM: Wow.

ROD: So you simply, as the name suggests, you dilute the product five parts water, one part Wet & Forget. Put it in your garden sprayer, apply it to any exterior surface. Now, don’t be scared of any exterior surface at all, whether it be outdoor furniture, canvas, your roof, your siding. Anything at …

LESLIE: Do I need to cover up any of my landscaping or anything underneath the windowsill?

ROD: No, no. You don’t spray your prize petunias, for sure. Be a little bit careful around plants but generally, all you then do is wet the surface with the product and forget it and let Mother Nature do the work. So no scrubbing, no power-washing. It’s just fantastic, easy and very gentle around your home.

TOM: We’re talking to Rod Jenden. He is the inventor and founder of Wet & Forget, a New Zealander that’s brought a great product to America.

And Rod, you guys are now taking this product to our bathrooms and help us clean the showers.

ROD: Oh, yeah, we sure are. We’ve got a brand-new cup product coming out called Wet & Forget Shower. Spray it today, rinse it tomorrow. No elbow grease. Less time, you get a magic result and it smells like a vanilla milkshake.

LESLIE: That’s great. I mean everybody loves a fantastic end result with unfortunately having to do a lot of work.

ROD: Exactly.

LESLIE: So you’ve really done that chore for everybody. And I think it’s funny: on the container of Wet & Forget, there’s this red tag that you cannot miss.

ROD: Yeah.

LESLIE: And I think it’s so important because certain people tend to not read directions and they’re probably going to put the Wet & Forget on and be like, “What? Why isn’t this working?” And then sure enough, it says, “You’ve got to let it sit and let it do its job and it really does the work.”

TOM: Rod Jenden from Wet & Forget, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

For more information, you can check out their website at WetAndForget.com.

Thanks, Rod.

ROD: Thanks, Tom. Thanks, Leslie.

LESLIE: Alright. Well, we love seeing companies here that have withstood the test of time. Up next, we’re going to highlight products from a company that makes some of the best lawn-and-garden tools in the world. And they’ve been doing that for 360 years.

Back with more from the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, after this.

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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is presented by Kleer Decking, the high-quality, low-maintenance PVC decking solution that will look as great in 25 years as it does today, thanks to superior stain- and fade-resistance and a lifetime warranty. So you can rest easy on your beautiful, brand-new deck. Learn more at KleerDecking.com.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Coming to you from the floor of the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas today. The mood is exciting here. Home improvement spending is up after a few years in the can, when the economy caused homeowners to maybe tighten their belts just a little bit.

LESLIE: That’s right. And that excitement is magnified by the 27,000 industry professionals that are here at this annual gathering. The first National Hardware Show was started in New York City way back in 1945.

TOM: And if you think 1945 sounds like a long time ago, how about the year 1649? That’s when the company, Fiskars, was founded. And Boyd Miller is here from Fiskars to tell us about the products they have on display.

Hi, Boyd.

BOYD: Hi. How are you guys?

TOM: You don’t look nearly 400 years old.

BOYD: I’m not. Contrary to popular belief, I was not there at the founding.

TOM: So, what’s the latest in Fiskars? This is a line of garden tools and shovels and clippers and pruners that – I know my wife is a big gardener and she loves your products because they feel very comfortable in her hand.

BOYD: Yeah, that’s really it; that’s what it’s all about. Obviously, we’ve been a leader in global consumer products for a long time now, not only in home and outdoors but also in the garden arena, as well.

LESLIE: And my favorite sewing scissors.

BOYD: There you go.

TOM: Yeah.

BOYD: Exactly. A lot of people know our scissors, absolutely.

LESLIE: Let’s not forget.

BOYD: So it’s the same kind of technology, actually, we carry over into garden tools.

TOM: Now, you guys have a product here that’s called the Fiskars PowerGear. This is a line of products?

BOYD: It is, yeah. It covers hand pruners, loppers and hedge shears.

TOM: And what makes PowerGear unique?

BOYD: PowerGear is a specially-designed product, patented technology. And we’ve got some props here to help you cut and really show that off a little bit here in this environment. But it’s patented technology: a gear that maximizes your effort, maximizes your leverage in making cutting much easier.

LESLIE: So it – regardless of your hand strength, you’re going to get that performance.

BOYD: Regardless of your hand strength. Exactly. Yes, versus traditional tools that we’ve all been used to do for years.

TOM: So, basically, it has a mechanical advantage?

BOYD: It does, yes. Amplifies that leverage, makes cutting up to about three times easier.

LESLIE: And I think it’s so important, because it’s always been sort of associated with the Fiskars brand as the design and the functionality of the tool itself. I mean I have a scissor from you guys that I think you guys gave to me about eight years ago. I have never sharpened it. I really only use it for fabric, which is the all-important thing when it comes to a fabric scissor.

BOYD: Absolutely.

LESLIE: But eight years later, it’s still my favorite go-to.

BOYD: Absolutely, yeah. Very durable design but also simple. Very straightforward, easy to use, not intimidating for the consumers to pick it up and use it. And when they use it …

LESLIE: I don’t know. Pruners give me a nervous feeling anyway.

BOYD: They do. Mm-hmm.

LESLIE: I look at them, I think Reservoir Dogs. I don’t even want to touch them.

TOM: We’re talking to Boyd Miller. He is from Fiskars and you are the Fiskars Category Marketing Manager.

What are consumers telling you that they want in new garden tools?

BOYD: It’s been great. We talk to garden enthusiasts, landscaping enthusiasts all across the country. And it’s funny: we go into their garages and they lay out their tools and they’re absolute antiques. They’re old as the hills and we bring these new technologies to them.

And what they’re typically looking for is they want something ergonomic, lighter weight and that performs. It’s really that simple. And when you show them the new tools, it’s immediately wow; it’s fantastic.

LESLIE: Well, because it performs so much better than what they’ve got sitting there.

BOYD: Yep. Exactly.

LESLIE: And they probably haven’t maintained the tool that they’ve had for 10, 20 years. And obviously, you’re going to get performance degradation over time. But with Fiskars, they really stand up.

BOYD: Exactly. That’s what it’s all about: it’s durability, as well as all those design elements, the aesthetics and then the ease of use.

TOM: And you guys have terrific shovels and rakes, too. I’ve got to tell you, the ones that we have in our shed at home have been around for a long, long time. And it’s always sort of the go-to tool, when we have to do a project, that we’ll grab. I’ve got sort of the history of shovels in my house. It looks like I even have the one that’s 1 year old, 5 years old and 10 years old.

LESLIE: Right.

BOYD: Right.

TOM: But I always go back to my Fiskars because it’s always comfortable to use and it’s always reliable and I know it’s not going to bend or break.

BOYD: Exactly. The all-steel shovel is a fantastic product and a lot of design elements into that, too: the big step, the big grip where you can get two hands on it if it’s a D-handle version, get two hands even if you have gloves on it. And obviously, very, very durable.

TOM: You guys also have one that’s sort of jagged edge on it, don’t you?

BOYD: Yes, we do.

TOM: Now, I know about that because I pierced a sprinkler line with it once.

BOYD: That can happen. That can happen, yes.

TOM: It can happen, you know? It happens to the best of us, as well.

BOYD: Yes. Mm-hmm.

LESLIE: Any special maintenance we need to consider? I know with garden tools, cleaning them is really important. What is the tip that really will make the tools last a long time after a basic gardening project?

BOYD: Well, what’s really nice with our tools – first of all, with a hand pruner, for example …

LESLIE: And by the way, I like that rolling square handle with it.

BOYD: The rolling handle. The ergonomics on the hand pruner is fantastic.

One thing that all of our loppers and our hedge shears and our hand pruners come with is a coated blade.

TOM: OK.

BOYD: It’s like a – almost like a Teflon-type coating, like a pan would be: very slippery. So it aids in cut performance, as well, which is optimally great for the plant health. Which you want the cleanest cut for the plant.

But maintenance-wise, this is also rust-resistant, rust protected. So you’re getting a little bit of a benefit there, right out of the gate, right with this. So, you can oil them, you can sharpen the blades. They can all be sharpened. That’s really about it. Just keep them clean, keep them oiled a little bit, especially if you store them over winter, and you’ve got it.

TOM: And it pays to invest in good-quality tools because if you take care of your tools, your tools will definitely take care of you.

Boyd Miller, the Fiskars Category Marketing Manager, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

BOYD: Thanks for having us.

TOM: You are listening to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show broadcasting from the floor of one of the biggest home improvement shows in the world: the 2012 National Hardware Show. Stick around because up next, we’re going to learn about the latest in adhesives that can help make sure all of your home improvement projects can stand the test of time. Plus, we’ll focus on a new light bulb that could cut your energy costs by 28 percent, when The Money Pit continues from Las Vegas’ National Hardware Show.

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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Flood. Know how to open a can of wood stain? If it’s Flood Wood Stain, you’ve already mastered the hardest part. From the first board you brush to the last, Flood products make it surprisingly simple to protect and beautify your deck, fence and more. Find a retailer at Flood.com.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And we are here at the hub of the home improvement industry: the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Thousands of companies here rolling out the latest in home improvement products, tools and services for you.

LESLIE: That’s right. The halls are crowded and the mood is upbeat, which is a great sign for the economy and of course, for all of us who depend on our home as one of our most important investments.

TOM: We’ve told you one of the biggest trends we’re seeing here at the show is anything aimed at saving energy and saving you money. And as incandescents fade away, there’s a race now to come up with light bulbs that save even more. They burn longer and they look great.

LESLIE: That’s right. And the EcoVantage bulbs from Philips do just that.

Now, these are the same shape and they offer the same light quality as incandescents but they are way more energy-efficient. Now, Philips EcoVantage light bulbs, they’re available in soft white, natural light or clear bulbs. They contain no mercury and are fully dimmable and are instant-on, which really does make a big difference when it comes to the bulb itself.

Now, the best part is that they save at least 28 percent in energy costs. You can learn more about EcoVantage bulbs in The Money Pit’s green product guide, sponsored in part by Philips. And it’s online, right now, for free at MoneyPit.com.

TOM: And one of the cool things about going to this show is learning about many of the most reliable, trusted brands that are marking new territory. And Elmer’s is one of those brands. Among the many products they make is Krazy Glue, the number one-selling super glue on the market.

LESLIE: That’s right. And now Elmer’s is branching out to bring you tools that make sure your projects come out perfectly. Here to tell us more is Elmer’s Hardware Brand Manager, Emily von Stein.

Welcome.

EMILY: Thank you.

TOM: So you guys have some new knives that are coming out and I think a lot of folks don’t understand all the brands that Elmer’s is really responsible for. So why don’t you kind of give us an overview?

EMILY: Yeah. So a little known fact about Elmer’s is that X-ACTO and Krazy Glue are both housed in the same area as Elmer’s, so we have …

LESLIE: All staples in my daily routine, I have to tell you.

EMILY: Fantastic. And so we are great because we have the Instant Glue, as well as just having the knowledge and the great expertise of X-ACTO. And one new thing that’s coming out for X-ACTO is a utility knife. They really specialize in the hobby knives but they’re great, premium knives.

And it’ll be coming out later this year with the sharpest, most durable blade on the market, which is – we’re calling a Z-blade. So be sure to look for that in the fall.

LESLIE: And it sort of has a self-sharpening technology built into the blade itself?

EMILY: Well, it’s atomically sharpened so that it actually will be more durable and last longer. So as you’re cutting carpet or you are cutting boxes in your house, it’ll just last longer; you won’t have to change your blade more often, saving you time and money.

LESLIE: That’s great.

TOM: And you guys also have some new glues that you’re talking about here at the show. One is called the Wood Glue Max. Tell me about that product.

EMILY: Yeah. So Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue Max is the only stainable wood glue on the market. So, you know …

TOM: And how do you do that? I mean how do you make the stain stick to glue?

EMILY: Well, it’s actually – we put a little wood fiber or flour in the product.

TOM: Ah, it’s all in the recipe.

EMILY: Exactly. So you sand off the top of that finish, you actually open the polymers and the wood fiber is there. And so when you stain, you’re actually staining the wood fiber and not the glue.

LESLIE: And not the glue itself.

TOM: And that’s great because whenever you’re doing a project that involves staining, you never see the glue until you apply the stain.

EMILY: Exactly.

TOM: And then you see the white stripe underneath.

EMILY: Yeah. And you see that you missed that section and you have to go back and fix it or just deal with that.

TOM: Yep.

LESLIE: Right. And you can see how sloppy you were.

EMILY: Exactly.

LESLIE: That’s always the biggest surprise.

And I think it’s fantastic because you showed us a sample and the stain matches. It’s there. It’s very close and that’s really the best you’re going to get. It’s fantastic. Compared to when you put just traditional glue, you’re right: you see a big, big difference.

EMILY: Yes, definitely. It helps, once again, save, as you were talking about earlier, save time and money because you’re not going to go have to go back and resand that off and possibly redo your whole project just to hide that glue spot.

TOM: We’re talking to Emily von Stein from Elmer’s. You guys help us goof-proof our projects, too, with tools and products that can make sure they look great.

You also have a wood filler that you were telling me about earlier today, that really can help restore the structural integrity of wood, as well.

EMILY: Yeah. So we have a lot of wood fillers on the market. We’re actually the largest water-based, wood-filler company in the States.

And wood filler is great for a lot of projects. As you’re fixing your cabinet or as you have small children and they decide to dig out a hole in your table, it’s great to fill in those gouges and make everything clean and neat so you don’t have that.

TOM: She’s been to your house.

LESLIE: Hey.

EMILY: And all of our wood fillers are stainable, paintable. They also come in a variety of colors and they’re interior and exterior, as well.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. That really is great. And you were saying that you guys were – just launched a brand-new website, which I think is very cool.

EMILY: Yeah. So we have a lot of brands at Elmer’s – as I’m sure most people know about our stationery glue – but the website, Elmers.com, is a great place to see all of our hardware adhesives, as well as hardware projects, as well. Coming up, actually, in a couple weeks, we will have a whole set of how-to videos that will really show and demonstrate how to use our products correctly and great projects to work them, to use them on.

TOM: Tell me about Krazy Glue. Krazy Glue is the number one-selling super glue on the market. And the number of projects that you can tackle with this is really crazy; there’s really no limit to it.

EMILY: Yeah, exactly. Everyone has a bottle of Krazy Glue or a tube of Krazy Glue in their house. And we’ve had multiple people even come up at the show this week and say, “Hey, I ripped my shoe. Can I have some Krazy Glue?”

LESLIE: It really does work on everything.

EMILY: It does.

TOM: And also, you guys have a product that helps us clamp projects.

Now, any time you break something, especially if it’s an irregular shape, you use a rope, you use a rubber band or …

LESLIE: Unless you want to stand there holding it together for ages and ages.

TOM: Yeah, exactly. Or unless you have the world’s biggest clamp collection.

But you figured out an ingenious way around that. You call it Clamp Tape? Can you explain that?

EMILY: Yes. So our Elmer’s Carpenter’s Clamp Tape is essentially a tape that only adheres to itself. And it’s 300-percent stretchy times its size, so it’s great for irregular shapes. You just wrap it around the shape, make sure it’s all good, clamped together. You push the two pieces of tape to each other and they’re adhered; you’re good to go. Let it sit overnight and your project will be good as new.

TOM: Fantastic. And you can learn more at Elmers.com. That’s E-l-m-e-r-s.com.

Well, as the weather turns warm, we’re sure more and more of you are looking forward to getting outside to enjoy your lawn except, that is, if you’ve got a weed-filled mess on your hands. We’re going to have the latest solution for a weed-free, lush, beautiful lawn, after this.

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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Stanley Tools, your trusted name in quality hand tools. To learn more about their complete line of quality tools and everything for your tool box, visit StanleyTools.com.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete. And we want to welcome you back to a very special broadcast of The Money Pit from the floor of the 2012 National Hardware Show. You know, this is kind of like the Academy Awards for the home improvement industry. And we really get to be right here on the red carpet and see all the newest and coolest.

TOM: Yeah. And just like the award shows, you can definitely trend-spot from the floor of this show. And one trend we’re seeing is an increase in all outdoor-living products. More and more Americans are taking advantage of their backyards but if you want to get in on that trend, you’re going to have to make sure that you keep your lawn looking great.

LESLIE: That’s right. Now, the products from Bayer Advanced can help. And Steve Fasano is here to explain.

Welcome, Steve.

STEVE: Oh, hi, guys. How are you today?

TOM: And this is something that perplexes a lot of Americans, Steve. They don’t know what products to use.

STEVE: Yes.

TOM: They don’t know how to mix them, how to apply them. They’re afraid of sort of poisoning their lawns and doing worse damage. How do you guys make that easy?

STEVE: Actually, what we try and do is work and take the science and the technologies and the strength of Bayer and bring them to all of us as homeowners.

TOM: OK.

STEVE: And we look and say, “What can we find ways?” And one thing that we’re definitely seeing is that weeds and unwanted grasses, they’re popping up in areas that we don’t want them. And we found that a lot of homeowners can find solutions to try and say, “How can we create areas that are free of grass and weeds so we can do things that we want to do in that time, like play basketball or grill with our neighbors, as opposed to spend time taking care of weeds?”

LESLIE: Right. And I think it really becomes a question of: is there a product that works for all kinds of weeds? Do I need to really be a person that can identify what kind of weed is on my lawn before I run to the store and get a product?

STEVE: Well, one of the things that we definitely tried to take a look at is – our greatest launch that’s right now is our DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer. And that takes care of all of the questions. So if we have the ability where if there is unwanted grasses and weeds and they’re in areas like your patio, your driveway, your sidewalks and these are in the areas, this DuraZone Grass & Weed Killer provides up to six months protection. It actually kills the existing weeds and provides a continuous-action weed barrier.

TOM: Now, that’s interesting. So it actually takes care of what you’re seeing but then it kind of lays there, so it’s not going to come back.

STEVE: Yes.

LESLIE: That’s great.

TOM: Now, the trick with a weed product is you want to make sure that you’re super-accurate on its application.

STEVE: Yes.

TOM: I know that you guys have designed a really interesting applicator bottle, because the DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer comes in a concentrate, correct?

STEVE: Tom, you are absolutely correct. It comes in a concentrate that on our concentrate, we actually have a very easy-to-use measuring cap that allows us to measure into a pump sprayer. And one of the beautiful things about this is you hit it – we tried to make it as easy a targeted application as we can. So we worked …

TOM: So the pump sprayer actually has the pump built into the bottle.

STEVE: Has the pump built in.

TOM: It’s got the wand – the application wand – built into the bottle.

STEVE: Yes.

TOM: It’s got the …

LESLIE: And it has a long hose.

TOM: It’s got a 7-foot hose built into the bottle.

STEVE: Almost.

TOM: So it’s completely on-board storage, so to speak.

STEVE: Yes. And it actually has the ability for it to be refilled from the concentrate. Allows, with that wand extension, for targeted application, so we can get the product on the weeds that are there and then also on the weeds in areas that we want to protect.

One other great feature of the packaging is also it has a pressure-relief valve. So if you utilize the product and then we still have some left in there, we can relieve the pressure in the pump sprayer prior to storing.

LESLIE: And then the product will stay.

STEVE: Yes.

LESLIE: Oh, that’s fantastic. I mean I think it’s so important because there is so much knowledge behind the Bayer brand. And you guys can really help homeowners understand what it is we need to be doing about our lawns. Because, as you both have said, people head to the home center and they just don’t know what to do. They don’t know what type of lawn they have, they don’t know what the weed is. What are they trying to accomplish? And I think it’s great that you’re taking this position where you can really help us understand what to do.

STEVE: Education is what it’s all about and that’s what we try and do. If we can encourage people to come on to our website at www.BayerAdvanced.com, we have how-to videos and educational information, just to make sure that we get the right product for the right application. Because it’s all about finding ways to have people who have a great success in their home, lawn and garden.

TOM: Terrific. Steve Fasano from Bayer Advanced, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit. DuraZone, what a great, new product you guys have brought out.

STEVE: Thank you, guys.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Coming up next week on The Money Pit, do you need to shed some lights on dark spaces in your home? Pendant lights might be the solution. We’ll get tips on how you can install pendant lights yourself when we welcome Kevin O’Connor, host of TV’s This Old House.

I'm Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself ...

LESLIE: But you don't have to do it alone.

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(Copyright 2012 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)